Curriculum

Course Description The course highlights key issues of European policy in the production, use and control of food additives, including European approaches to food safety. The course will highlight the classification of food additives, their properties and the impact on food quality, allowable use and labeling in both the European Union as a whole and in individual countries-members. The course also includes a review of legislation in this area, the role of organizations such as the FAO / WHO and JECFA, FOOD STANDART AGENCY, the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed in the European Union, etc., that form food additive policies and take care of food safety. The course focuses on the integration of European Union approaches, practices on the use of food additives in food industry of Ukraine. The course consists of 16 hours of lectures and 32 hours of laboratory classes. Lectures are held for two groups of students (totally about 35 students), laboratory work is conducted separately for each subgroup of students (totally three subgroups). At laboratory classes students will study in detail the properties and use, labeling of individual food additives of different groups, will conduct research on their influence on the technological process and product quality. Thus, the course is 48 hours of classwork (16 hours of lectures + 32 hours of laboratory classes) or 112 contact hours (16 hours of lectures + 32*3 hours of laboratory classes, calculated at 32 hours for each subgroup separately).

In the 2021/2022 academic year, two groups of masters in food technologies (one group of the educational program "Technologies of Bread, Confectionery, Pasta and Food Concentrates" (25 students) and the second group of the educational program "Technologies of Organic Products" (10 students), totally 35 students.

In the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic years, four groups of masters degree in food technologies (two groups of the educational program "Technologies of Bread, Confectionery, Pasta and Food Concentrates" (50 students) and two groups of the educational program "Technologies of Organic Products" (20 students).

At the end of the course, students must be capable:

• to understand and explain the involvement of EU Member States in the legislative process on the regulation of the use of food additives;

• to be able to use official sources of information on EU laws and directives;

• to know the basic directives of the European Union on food additives and food safety, which should be implemented in Ukraine on the path of European integration;

• to understand the policies and management practices for the use of food additives in the European Union;

• to know the goals and directions of the development of legislation and research in the production, use and control of food additives in the European Union and Ukraine;

• to use the correct terminology for the names of the food additives in Ukrainian and English;

• to know the properties of different food additives, their rules of application, acceptable standards and labeling, taking into account the requirements of EU standards;

• to be able to choose a food additive for use in the technology of different foods and to recommend its acceptable dosage.

Interactive lectures, including presentations, literature analysis, class discussions, student presentations and e-learning courses, testing the effects of various food additives on technological process indicators and product quality in the laboratory. 

Evaluation (Grading) The final score is based on the following indicators: The grade for the written exam is 30% of the final score. Other current control measures are 70% of the final score. The written exam consists of open-ended questions. Participation in classes and their evaluation account 70% of the score. Exam Questions are 3 short written questions. Both parts of the course evaluation are based on lecture materials and other supplementary self-study materials. Exam results test students for knowledge of key issues of the course, ability to analyze. 

The course will increase the awareness of undergraduates about the European Union food additives policy. This will increase their employment opportunities in Ukraine and in the EU as they will be aware of the legislation on the use of food additives. It will also contribute to the implementation of EU directives in food industry and European integration of Ukraine. The course will help to stimulate teaching and research, in particular EU food policy, food safety, food additives, trade.